High-throughput sample processing is a daily practice for many scientists. Magnetic beads are often used in a variety of such applications including cell analysis, immunoassays and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
While magnetic beads provide a faster and easier solution than more complex, conventional methods, sometimes off-the-shelf solutions do not always offer the specificity or binding capacity required.
This guide explores the latest custom services for the modification existing beads or development of new, more accurate solutions.
Download this guide to learn more about:
- How polymer profiling is used in a variety of R&D and QA/QC applications
- How magbeads can stabilize the integrity of your sample
- A comprehensive portfolio of solutions that ensure high purity and material performance standards
A note from Cytiva High-throughput sample processing is becoming a daily requirement for many scientists. Magnetic beads (also called magbeads) are widely used in protein purification and in many amplification and genotyping applications such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and are a mainstay of molecular and immunodiagnostic tests. Magnetic beads facilitate automated processes, deliver reliable performance and can be used with a wide range of sample types, helping scientists consistently achieve their desired results. Consequently, they are becoming increasingly popular. Find out more about the surface chemistries that will suit your assay development with our article on page 4 and selection guide on page 7. Sometimes, off-the-shelf magbeads don’t quite meet your needs. Our custom services can produce a bespoke solution for you by modifying an existing bead or developing a new one. Read more about our custom services in the article “A magnetic bead for every need” on page 11. We always appreciate your feedback, so please get in touch. We hope you enjoy this issue!cytiva.com 4 Magnetosphere magazine Article Magbeads 101: A guide to choosing and using magnetic beads proteins, or other biomolecules in an easy, effective, and scalable way. A key advantage to using magnetic beads is that you can isolate nucleic acids and other biomolecules directly from a crude sample and from a variety of different sample types with minimal processing. Other methods for nucleic acid isolation require different protocols for different sample types and are more time consuming. Request a sample of Cytiva’s magnetic beads Magnetic beads are superparamagnetic. This means that, in contrast to ferromagnets, they only exhibit magnetic behavior in the presence of an external magnetic field. This property enables the separation in suspension of the beads and anything bound to them. Because the beads don’t attract each other outside of a magnetic field, they can be used without any unwanted clumping. Different surface coatings and chemistries give each type of bead its own binding properties, which can be used for magnetic separation (isolation and purification) of nucleic acids, cytiva.com 5 Magnetosphere magazine Article Magnetic separation racks Magnetic separation applies a magnetic force to the sample mixture, so that the molecule of interest, which is attracted to the magnetic beads, is separated from the mixture. Cytiva’s magnetic separation rack 15 mL is a 3D printed, magnetized tube rack with a strong, removable magnet and easy pipette access. It facilitates high capture, retention, and release of magnetic beads from various liquid sample media, allowing high-throughput, parallel processing of up to six 15 mL samples. How does magnetic bead DNA extraction work? Nucleic acids are extracted using magnetic beads coated with molecules that can bind nucleic acids reversibly by adjusting buffer conditions (Fig 1). Magnetic particles are added to sample and bind to target molecule. Magnetic particles are captured, and remainder of sample is washed away. Target molecule is released from magnetic particles for further analysis. Fig 1. Overview of magnetic bead-based DNA extraction using Sera-Mag beads Find out more about magnetic separation rackscytiva.com 6 Magnetosphere magazine Article Q: In which applications are Sera-Mag oligo (dT) coated magnetic particle beads commonly used? A: RT-PCR, cDNA library construction, cDNA microarrays, affinity purification, primer extension, NGS, subtractive hybridization, and more. Q: How do Sera-Mag oligo (dT) coated magnetic particles make mRNA isolation more convenient and efficient? A: Sera-Mag oligo (dT) coated magnetic particles remove 90% or more of mRNA from total RNA with just one extraction. Q: How do Sera-Mag oligo (dT) coated magnetic particles stabilize physical integrity? A: Oligo (dT) groups are covalently bound to the particle surface. Because the magnetite
